This invention relates in general to the connection of accessory devices to vehicles or structures, and more particularly, to an accessory mounting system that may be fixed to an environment, providing a secure attachment point for various accessory devices.
Devices such as camera mounts, fishing rod holders, personal electronics cradles, marine depth finders, visibility beacons, and various other implements frequently require quick and easy attachment and removal from structures and vehicles, such as personal watercraft, boats, all terrain vehicles, airplanes, automobiles, military vehicles and other vehicles and structures utilizing such devices.
In addition to these devices, other items associated with various environments are commonly stored and organized as many environments contain a variety of items that need to be stored or organized. Within the scope herein, the term “device” shall refer to any item that may be stored or organized in a given environment, or a bracket designed to support such an item.
In some cases, it may be desirable to alter the deployment configuration of these devices, either by arrangement or position. It may also be desirable to interchangeably attach these devices to fixed mounts and track systems, with the fixed mount providing a rigid, low cost, single point of attachment and the track system providing a range of deployment positions that may be altered during attachment or while being used in the field.
These devices have been attached using a variety of methods, including direct and non-removable attachment to the environment, or removable attachment by means of a variety of mounting systems. While a variety of mounting systems have been utilized in some applications, they are each limited in performance by their respective designs. In most cases these attachment methods are not compatible with track systems. These mounting systems may also be too large to fit in tight spaces, and may not have a low profile design that is desirable in many applications.
There remains a need for an accessory mounting bracket that provides a secure means of removable attachment, is compatible with accessory track systems, utilizes a small footprint and low profile, and is designed for surface mounting.